Lean Service System

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Harvard University *

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Management

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Lean Service System Lean service systems have become increasingly popular in the airline industry. One of the best examples of a lean service system is found within Southwest Airlines, known for its no-frills approach and efficient operations. In contrast, full-service airlines such as United Airlines and British Airways offer their passengers a range of services and amenities, resulting in longer boarding times and higher costs. The discussion will compare and contrast the lean service system found within Southwest Airlines to full-service airlines such as United Airlines and British Airways regarding cabin service, boarding process, baggage handling, and service encounters. It will include recommended ways for airline carriers to improve their lean operation system regarding speed and equality while reducing waste and costs. Cabin Service- The cabin service offered by Southwest Airlines is basic but efficient. Passengers are offered complimentary snacks and drinks, but no in-flight meals or entertainment systems exist. At the same time, full-service airlines such as United Airlines and British Airways provide various food and beverage options, including full meals and alcoholic beverages (Shen, 2022). They offer in-flight entertainment systems, a major passenger selling point. Boarding Process- Southwest Airlines uses a unique boarding process that assigns passengers a boarding group based on their check-in order. Passengers are then free to choose any available seat on the plane (Airlines, 2022). The process is efficient and eliminates the need for assigned seating. Contrarily, full-service airlines such as United Airlines and British Airways use assigned seating. They often have longer boarding times due to the number of passengers and the amount of luggage they bring.

2 Baggage Handling- Southwest Airlines has a strict policy of allowing passengers to bring two checked bags free of charge. The policy is popular with passengers and has helped reduce the time it takes to load and unload baggage from the plane (Helmold, 2022). Whereas full-service airlines such as United Airlines and British Airways often charge passengers for checked baggage, leading to longer wait times at the baggage claim area. Service Encounters- Southwest Airlines has a reputation for providing excellent customer service. Their employees are known for their friendly and approachable manner and are empowered to make decisions that benefit the customer (Airlines, 2022). While full-service airlines such as United Airlines and British Airways are often criticized for their poor customer service, which can be attributed to their larger size and bureaucratic structure. Recommendations for Improving Lean Operation Systems To improve their lean operation systems, airline carriers can take several steps. One way is to streamline its operations by reducing the number of services and amenities they offer. For example, they could eliminate in-flight meals or reduce the number of cabin crew members. It would reduce costs and improve efficiency. Besides, they should adopt new technologies. For instance, airlines could use self-check-in kiosks and baggage drop-off machines to reduce the time it takes for passengers to check in and drop off their bags. They could use mobile apps to provide passengers with real-time information about their flights and allow them to change their bookings. Airline carriers could improve their customer service by investing in employee training programs. This can help create a culture of excellent customer service, where employees are empowered to make decisions that benefit the customer. It would help improve employee morale, positively impacting the overall customer experience.

3 References Helmold, M., Küçük Yılmaz, A., Flouris, T., Winner, T., Cvetkoska, V., & Dathe, T. (2022). Lean Management in Aviation. In Lean Management, Kaizen, Kata and Keiretsu: Best- Practice Examples and Industry Insights from Japanese Concepts (pp. 129-182). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Shen, Z. (2022, December). Analysis of British Airway’s Hedging Strategies. In 2022 2nd International Conference on Economic Development and Business Culture (ICEDBC 2022) (pp. 307-311). Atlantis Press.

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